HGEA

Author: Kristina Lum

  • Here’s what happened at the arbitration…

    FIGHTING FOR YOU

    Arbitration Hearing Recap

    Salary increases and step movements were top priorities.

    Aloha Unit 15 Member,

    As you may recall, a week-long arbitration hearing was held last week after we reached an impasse with the employer to negotiate terms for a new contract that was to begin July 1, 2025.

    Your negotiating team put forward strong arguments for improved salary increases and step movements, using comparable agencies like Los Angeles County as proof of lifeguards reaching top pay within five years instead of the 33 years and 12 steps it takes here.


    Other key contract arguments included automatic hazard pay conditions whenever watches, warnings or advisories are issued by certain agencies; elimination of additional employer-mandated recertification for members returning from injury or illness if they have already been medically cleared; and more uniform contract language to address inconsistencies in equipment and uniform policies across counties.

    As expected, county budget and finance directors cited decreased revenues and federal funding cuts as reasons they couldn’t afford the increases we demanded. The employer also argued that we should be compared to lower paid federal lifeguards instead of the agencies we were citing. We countered both claims with our own testimony and evidence, and now it’s all in the arbitrator’s hands.

    We’ll be sending an update once we receive the decision. Keep in mind a decision rendered through arbitration is final and binding even though individual county councils must still pass funding bills. Members will not need to vote on an arbitration outcome.

    If you have questions, feel free to reach out to your respective island negotiator or to HGEA Field Services Consultant Joy Kuwabara at (808) 543-0078 or jkuwabara@hgea.org.

    Photo: Unit 15 negotiation team

    Left to right: Daniel O’Halloran, Joey Cadiz, Jonah Romero, Travis White and Chad Listman


    Warm mahalo to this Unit 15 negotiating team for their hard work and dedication. These unpaid volunteers have spent months researching and developing the arguments presented at arbitration on behalf of their unit.


    Negotiating team with union panelist Scott Collins, AFSCME Labor Advocate Dina Pinsky, AFSCME Associate Director Mark Murphy and attorney Rafael Ruano.

    Germaine’s Luau

    Enjoy a local style backyard luau at a discounted rate.


    Volunteers needed! Hawaii Island Special Olympics

    Make a difference and support the athletes. Keaau High School Track, Saturday,

    April 18, 6 a.m.

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    FOLLOW US

    Please do not reply to this email as we are not able to respond to messages sent to this address.

    For a complete list of member discounts or for more HGEA news, visit www.hgea.org.

    If you have specific inquiries, contact your local HGEA office or the HGEA Member Service Center at

    (808) 543-0000 or service@hgea.org.

  • Reel in the fun! Our shoreline fishing tournament is back April 17-19🐟🎣

    Kauai Island Division

    Shoreline Fishing Tournament

    Reel in the fun from April 17-19!

    Graphic: photo of a fish being weighed

    Our family-friendly fishing tournament is back. Competition window starts on Friday, April 17 at 12 a.m. and ends on Sunday, April 19 at 11 a.m.

    Weigh-in will take place on April 19 from 11 a.m. to noon at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall. Door prizes and a light lunch will be included there.

    Deadline to purchase tickets by calling (808) 245-6751 is April 14 at 4:30 p.m.

    Kauai Island Division

    CPR & AED Training

    Gain Life-Saving Skills

    Graphic: CPR training photo

    Learn the basics on how to save a life through hands-on CPR and AED training with the Kauai Fire Department.

    The training will be held at the Kauai HGEA office on Tuesday, April 7 at 5 p.m.

    Call (808) 245-6751 by April 6 at 4:30 p.m. to register.

    Germaine’s Luau

    Enjoy a local style backyard luau at a discounted rate.


    Download the new HGEA Mobile App

    Enter the member app download giveaway by March 31 for a chance to win lunch for you and your co-workers.

    FacebookInstagramYouTube

    FOLLOW US

    Please do not reply to this email as we are not able to respond to messages sent to this address.

    For a complete list of member discounts or for more HGEA news, visit www.hgea.org.

    If you have specific inquiries, contact your local HGEA office or the HGEA Member Service Center at

    (808) 543-0000 or service@hgea.org.

  • RELEASE: HGEA Endorses U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda for Re-election

    RELEASE: HGEA Endorses U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda for Re-election

    With vital public services under assault by a lawless federal administration, Hawaii Needs Rep. Tokuda’s Voice in Congress

    Hawaii’s working class is under threat from the White House and extremist members of the U.S. Congress who have sought to slash funding for health care and essential programs, pushing states like Hawaii to consider drastic cuts to public services and layoffs. And all this so their billionaire backers can make themselves richer on the backs of the middle class.

    That’s why the Hawaii Government Employees Association today is endorsing U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda as she runs for re-election to Hawaii’s Second Congressional District. While anti-union extremists on the other side of the aisle are for their own enrichment, Tokuda is fighting for our working class. She has a proven track record middle class families can trust.

    “Everything is at stake in this election: Our jobs, health care, retirement security, and even our most basic civil rights,” said HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira. “Words are easy — there will always be politicians who tell you what you want to hear. That’s not Jill. She understands what Hawaii’s families are facing, and she’s on the frontlines for them every day.”

    “I’m deeply honored to receive the support from the working men and women of HGEA,” said Rep. Jill Tokuda, CD-2. “This election is crucial to protecting our local values from the assault of our rights and provide opportunities for our working families to not just survive, but to thrive.”

    Now more than ever Hawaii needs fighters in Washington, D.C, and Rep. Tokuda doesn’t back down. When extremists in Congress proposed their so-called Big Beautiful Bill to slash billions from SNAP food benefits and Medicaid coverage for Hawaii residents, she voted no. She called it what it was: A cruel theft from the most vulnerable people, like thousands of our kupuna and keiki here at home, to hand billions in tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.

    As the affordability crisis grows bleaker by the day, Rep. Tokuda is fighting to strengthen access to rural healthcare, expand job training opportunities, grow affordable housing projects, and deliver real investments to strengthen our communities.

    While she’s making progress for us even under a hostile administration, the threat Hawaii faces is real. Federal cuts to social safety net programs are forcing states and local governments to make hard choices about healthcare, food assistance, education, and public safety. Rep. Tokuda is standing together with HGEA members and their families to protect our jobs and the vital public services we’re delivering for Hawaii. She knows Hawaii works best when we do.

    Media Contacts:

    Malulani Moreno
    Communications Manager
    (808) 543-0024
    mmoreno@hgea.org

    Kristina Lum
    Senior Communications Specialist
    (808) 543-0063
    klum@hgea.org

  • 📅 Don’t miss your next general membership meeting. Register now! 🔔

    RETIREES UNIT

    General Membership Meetings

    & Spring Events

    Join us at these upcoming events.

    General Membership Meetings

    Hawaii Island

    Wednesday, March 18, 9 a.m. at the Hawaii Island HGEA office, 495 Manono St. RSVP to Solette Perry at (808) 351-5005 or soletteperry96760@gmail.com.


    Kauai

    Monday, March 16, 10 a.m. at the Kauai HGEA office, 3213 Akahi St. Featured speaker is Donna Loo from kupuna care nonprofit Laulima no na Ohana. RSVP with Joni Taba at (808) 245-6751.

    Maui

    Tuesday, March 17, 9:30 a.m. at the HMSA Center in Kahului, 70 Hookele St. Featured speaker is Elaine Slavinsky on Dementia and Alzheimer’s. RSVP to Steve Criss at (808) 280-1526 or stplsd69@yahoo.com by March 6.

    Oahu

    Friday, March 20, 9:30 a.m. at the IBEW office building, 1935 Hau St., room 306A. Featured speaker is Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke. Register online. For questions, contact Tammy Tanouye at (808) 543-0054.

    Upcoming Activities

    Hawaii Island

    • April 2026: Save the date to volunteer with early morning set up for the Big Island Labor Alliance Special Olympics. Date and location to be determined. Text Elsie Iida at (808) 936-2023 if interested.

    Kauai

    • March 17: Sushi making class with Pearl Shimizu at Kauai HGEA office, 10 a.m. Cost is $3 per person. Limit 20 members. Register by calling (808) 245-6751.

    Maui

    Oahu


    As a reminder, all Oahu chapter activities with the exception of its general membership meeting have been cancelled until further notice due to construction at the Oahu HGEA office building. Please stay tuned for updates on when activities can resume.

    Your Union at Your Fingertips

    After 10 years, our website has received a much-needed tech upgrade and makeover. And HGEA, for the first time ever, has a new mobile app for members.

    Download the new app in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

    Once you’re on the app (by creating a new member login and password), you can enter to win $200 worth of refreshment funds for your island chapter’s next general membership meeting.

    Deadline to enter the giveaway is Tuesday, March 31.

    All the Benefits of Membership

    For Your Spouse or Partner, Too

    For just $6 a month, your spouse or partner is welcome to join the HGEA Retirees Unit and receive all the benefits of membership. It’s a small price to pay to protect your hard-earned benefits, stay connected, and access more than 100 discounts and deals from our exclusive vendors.

    Stand Up, Fight Back!

    We’re under attack by billionaires and anti-union extremists who want to destroy the public services we provide and roll back laws that protect our benefits, our job security — even the freedom to join a union.

    HGEA and AFSCME won’t go down without a fight. But we need you to have our backs so we can have yours.

    For just a few dollars a week, you can help fund the effort to fight back against the forces that want to steal your future.

    Southwest Airlines

    Book your next adventure with our increased inter-island discount.

    UH Family Fun Day: Men’s Volleyball

    UH vs. UCLA at the BankOh Arena, Stan Sheriff Center. Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m.


    FacebookInstagramYouTube

    FOLLOW US

    Please do not reply to this email as we are not able to respond to messages sent to this address.

    For a complete list of member discounts or for more HGEA news, visit www.hgea.org.

    If you have specific inquiries, contact your local HGEA office or the HGEA Member Service Center at

    (808) 543-0000 or service@hgea.org.

  • 🚨‼️Send Lawmakers Your Testimony

    URGENT CALL TO ACTION

    Send Lawmakers Your Opposition

    to the DOE Restructuring Bill

    Hearing set for Wednesday, Feb. 25.

    On Wednesday, Feb. 25 the Senate Ways and Means Committee is set to hear Sen. Donna Mercado Kim’s bill (SB 3334) that attacks the way principals are selected and evaluated, as well as restructures the school system. We need you to tell lawmakers, “Hands off DOE.”

    Wednesday, Feb. 25, 10:55 AM

    Conference Room 211 & Videoconference

    Hawaii State Capitol

    Now is not the time to let up on the gas. Lawmakers are restricting testimony to written only — so we need to send the committee our opposition. Submit your testimony now. You have until 10:55 tomorrow morning, or else your testimony will be marked late and may not be considered.

    After the Friday, Feb. 13 Education Committee hearing, Sen. Kim lashed out on the Senate floor to call you names. We rebuked Sen. Kim for her bullying tactics, but some senators have doubled-down. Sen. Glenn Wakai told a Kalihi neighborhood board that you showed up on Feb. 13 to “defend the status quo.”

    We need to remind these senators that principals, vice principals and other educational officers are highly educated and highly credentialed — you are the experts on how to run our schools, not them.

    Southwest Airlines

    Book your next adventure with our increased inter-island discount.


    UH Family Fun Day: Men’s Volleyball

    UH vs. UCLA at the BankOh Arena, Stan Sheriff Center. Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m.

    FacebookInstagramYouTube

    FOLLOW US

    Please do not reply to this email as we are not able to respond to messages sent to this address.

    For a complete list of member discounts or for more HGEA news, visit www.hgea.org.

    If you have specific inquiries, contact your local HGEA office or the HGEA Member Service Center at

    (808) 543-0000 or service@hgea.org.

  • ⛔🚫We condemn Sen. Donna Mercado Kim’s speech disrespecting educational officers.

    FIGHTING FOR YOU

    Sen. Donna Mercado Kim Lashed Out at Educational Officers — HGEA Fired Back

    We’re calling her out for bullying and disrespect.

    Donna and Randy

    Sen. Donna Mercado Kim took to the floor of the state Senate this week to insult principals and educational officers in our public schools, calling them rude and disrespectful simply for showing up to her committee hearing last week Friday and sharing their opinions.

    We’re not letting her get away with it. On Wednesday, Executive Director Randy Perreira addressed a letter to Sen. Kim, copying the rest of her Senate colleagues, to condemn her attacks on free speech and her attempts to twist what happened on Friday to advance her agenda of dismantling the education department.

    “Your deplorable floor speech fits with your pattern of lashing out when you are questioned and opposed — it is downright Trumpian,” Perreira wrote to Sen. Kim.

    IN THE NEWS

    Union Rebukes Senator as School Leadership Bill Sparks Capitol Clash

    Randy Perreira Spoke out on KHON-2 News

    Randy Interview

    After obtaining a letter from HGEA addressed to Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, KHON-2’s Jill Kuramoto spoke with Executive Director Randy Perreira about his condemnation of Kim for her attacks on principals, vice principals and educational officers.

    “She crossed the line with my organization when she decided to attack public employees directly. So we are fighting back,” said Perreira in the interview.

    FIGHTING FOR YOU

    DOE Restructuring Bill Advances

    SB 3334 creates new levels of bureaucracy.

    The Senate Education Committee advanced its bill that would upend the structure of the state Department of Education with amendments that would create a whole new layer of bureaucracy.

    Referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, with no hearing date set, the revised bill seeks to replace 16 Complex Area Superintendents with District Superintendents and with one or more deputies.

    Even more alarming for HGEA members, the bill changes the way principals, vice principals and educational officers are selected and evaluated.

    We continue to monitor this bill. If a hearing is scheduled, we will update members and ask that you mobilize as strongly as you did on Friday, Feb. 13.

    Southwest Airlines

    Book your next adventure with our increased inter-island discount.


    UH Family Fun Day: Men’s Volleyball

    UH vs. UCLA at the BankOh Arena, Stan Sheriff Center. Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m.

    FacebookInstagramYouTube

    FOLLOW US

    Please do not reply to this email as we are not able to respond to messages sent to this address.

    For a complete list of member discounts or for more HGEA news, visit www.hgea.org.

    If you have specific inquiries, contact your local HGEA office or the HGEA Member Service Center at

    (808) 543-0000 or service@hgea.org.

  • Sen. Donna Mercado Kim Lashes Out at Educational Officers — HGEA Fires Back 

    Sen. Donna Mercado Kim Lashes Out at Educational Officers — HGEA Fires Back 

    Donna Kim and Randy Perreira

    Sen. Donna Mercado Kim took to the floor of the state Senate this week to insult principals and educational officers in our public schools, calling them rude and disrespectful simply for showing up to her committee hearing on Friday and sharing their opinions. 

    We’re not letting her get away with it. On Wednesday, Executive Director Randy Perreira addressed a letter to Sen. Kim, copying the rest of her Senate colleagues, to condemn her attacks on free speech and her attempts to twist what happened on Friday to advance her agenda of dismantling the education department. 

    “Your deplorable floor speech fits with your pattern of lashing out when you are questioned and opposed — it is downright Trumpian,” Perreira wrote to Sen. Kim. “Here is what is disrespectful: Using your personal vendetta against school officials in your district for not agreeing or kowtowing to you. Your attempt to use your position to dismantle the organizational structure of our school system is an extreme means of attacking two school principals and their Complex Area Superintendent.” 

    Sen. Kim’s measure, SB 3334, would completely upend the way educational officers are selected and evaluated. It would also dismantle the DOE’s system of supports by axing the Complex Area Superintendents. As Perreira points out, Sen. Kim’s proposal has nothing to do with making education better for kids and everything to do with settling scores against educators who oppose her and bullying DOE officials she has a beef with. 

    This is what principals, vice principals and other educational officers showed up en masse to oppose. Based on her floor speech days later, it is clear the opposition from EOs got under Sen. Kim’s skin. 

    Contrary to claims by Sen. Kim, our members did not boo other testifiers and they were never reprimanded for their behavior by staff of the Legislature. They were exercising their rights as citizens to “petition their government for a redress of grievances,” as the First Amendment spells out. 

    HGEA will stand with our members who choose to oppose and speak out against Sen. Kim’s agenda. “I hope it is apparent that the HGEA will not stand for this type of bullying and attempted censorship in Hawaii. You can rest assured that we will defend our right to free speech, and that our elected representatives have not heard the last of us,” Perreira wrote. 

  • 🤙🙌Mahalo for telling lawmakers, “Hands off DOE.”

    FIGHTING AT THE LEGISLATURE

    Mahalo for Telling Lawmakers

    ’Hands Off DOE’

    The fight against bad bills isn’t over.

    Mahalo for everyone who showed up to the Senate Education Committee or wrote testimony against SB 3334 introduced by Sen. Donna Kim that would change the way principals are selected and evaluated, as well as rid the Department of Education of Complex-Area Superintendents.

    Lawmakers were not expecting so many of you to turn out. In fact, Sen. Kim stood in the chamber of the Senate today to call principals and EOs rude and disrespectful.

    Here’s what’s disrespectful: Sen. Kim using a personal vendetta against school officials in her district to dismantle the entire DOE. This has nothing to do with making public schools work better for the kids of Hawaii and everything to do with Kim’s penchant for bullying and settling scores — it is downright Trumpian.

    Your presence set a strong example for your students about what civic engagement and exercising our First Amendment rights is all about.

    Next Steps

    We’re now waiting for lawmakers to schedule a hearing with the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which could happen by the end of the week. We’ll need your voices to be as loud and forceful as they were on Friday.

    Southwest Airlines

    Book your next adventure with our increased inter-island discount.


    UH Family Fun Day: Men’s Volleyball

    UH vs. UCLA at the BankOh Arena, Stan Sheriff Center. Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m.

    FacebookInstagramYouTube

    FOLLOW US

    Please do not reply to this email as we are not able to respond to messages sent to this address.

    For a complete list of member discounts or for more HGEA news, visit www.hgea.org.

    If you have specific inquiries, contact your local HGEA office or the HGEA Member Service Center at

    (808) 543-0000 or service@hgea.org.

  • Listen now:🎙️Ep. 20 The 2026 Legislative Session

    Banner: The Negotiation Table podcast, 2026 Legislative Session With HGEA Executive Director, Randy Perreira

    The 2026 legislative session is underway, with lawmakers grappling with the impact of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill passed by extremists in Congress and the White House. The bill slashed billions from the states for supplemental food benefits and healthcare for the most vulnerable, all to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Lawmakers are in the uncomfortable position of figuring out how to balance the state’s budget while preserving vital services to the public. And that’s just one issue among many directly related to labor.

    HGEA MEDIA CAMPAIGN

    When Hawaii calls, who will be there to answer?

    Check out our new ads featuring our very own members.

    Banner: Photos of HGEA members in new ads

    The state is facing a potential $3.5 billion loss in federal funding after extremists in control of Washington, D.C. handed massive tax cuts to billionaires and greedy corporations. In Hawaii, this could result in 3,400 job losses, 62,000 people losing health care, and 94,000 children and kupuna kicked off SNAP food benefits.


    As lawmakers scramble for ways to cover the shortfall, we’re telling them to keep their hands off our public services. Government workers provide essential services that the public relies on. If they are impacted by cuts, who will be there to answer when Hawaii calls?

    RECENTLY LAUNCHED

    Your Union at Your Fingertips

    Download the app for a chance to win!

    Photo: New HGEA mobile app has launched!

    After 10 years, our website has received a much-needed tech upgrade and makeover. And HGEA, for the first time ever, has a new mobile app for members.

    Union news and resources will be even easier to access. At your fingertips, you’ll have:

    • Contracts, agreements, and key documents
    • Your island division and union agent contacts
    • News and updates, including breaking news
    • Exclusive discounts at 100+ vendors
    • Event calendar and easy registration

    How to Get Started and Enter the App Giveaway


    1. Create a New Login

    Your previous website account did not transfer to the new website. Create a new account to use on both the new website and mobile app.

    2. Download the App

    Available on the Google Play or Apple Store.

    3. Submit Giveaway Entry Form

    Select the banner at the bottom of the app home screen to login and submit your entry for a prize (up to $200 total; $20 per-person limit) for you and your office:

    • Lunch for you and your coworkers from an eatery of your choice
    • A Keurig coffee machine, coffee K cups and snacks for your break room
    • Desserts for the office from a bakery/eatery of your choice

    Any winner belonging to the Retirees Unit will win $200 worth of refreshment funds for their island chapter’s next general membership meeting.

    

    25 winners will be selected: five each from Maui, Kauai and Hawaii Island Divisions, and 10 from Oahu Island Division.

    Deadline to enter the giveaway is Tuesday, March 31.

    Southwest Airlines

    Book your next adventure with our increased inter-island discount.


    UH Family Fun Day: Men’s Volleyball

    UH vs. UCLA at the BankOh Arena, Stan Sheriff Center. Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m.

    FacebookInstagramYouTube

    FOLLOW US

    Please do not reply to this email as we are not able to respond to messages sent to this address.

    For a complete list of member discounts or for more HGEA news, visit www.hgea.org.

    If you have specific inquiries, contact your local HGEA office or the HGEA Member Service Center at

    (808) 543-0000 or service@hgea.org.

  • Randy Perreira on the 2026 Legislative Session

    Randy Perreira on the 2026 Legislative Session

    The 2026 legislative session is underway, with lawmakers grappling with the impact of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill passed by extremists in Congress and the White House. The bill slashed billions from the states for supplemental food benefits and healthcare for the most vulnerable, all to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Lawmakers are in the uncomfortable position of figuring out how to balance the state’s budget while preserving vital services to the public. And that’s just one issue among many directly related to labor.